Adult supervision is required when building and operating a trebuchet.

*Note: This is an abbreviated Project Idea, without notes to start your background research, a specific list of materials, or a procedure for how to do the experiment. You can identify abbreviated Project Ideas by the asterisk at the end of the title. If you want a Project Idea with full instructions, please pick one without an asterisk.

Abstract

Before cannons widely replaced them, siege engines were often used by armies to throw large stones and other projectiles to break down castle walls. One of the most advanced siege engines used in the Middle Ages was the trebuchet, which used a large counterweight to store energy to launch a payload, or projectile. The horizontal distance the payload would travel is called the trebuchet's range. Figure 1, below, shows a modern reconstruction of a trebuchet.

The range of a trebuchet has always been important. In the Middle Ages, soldiers had to make sure their trebuchets had a long enough range to stay outside the range of defending archers on castle walls. While they are no longer used in warfare, today people still build trebuchets for fun and use them in contests to see who can launch things the farthest. There are many different factors that can affect the range of a trebuchet; for example, the mass of the counterweight or the length of the lever arm. While designers of the Middle Ages had to rely largely on intuition or trial and error to build their trebuchets, modern builders have many helpful tools available. In addition to building prototypes of a trebuchet, you can also use physics calculations or even a computer simulation to help you design it to have the best range.

Figure 1. Reconstructed trebuchet at Château des Baux, France. The payload is loaded into the sling, at the long end of the lever arm (on the left). To launch the payload, first the long end of the lever arm is pulled down, which raises the counterweight suspended from the short end of the lever arm (on the right). Then, the long end of the lever is let go, and gravity pulls the counterweight down, whipping the long end of the lever arm up. The sling follows, and the payload is sent flying through the air (to the right). (Wikimedia Commons user Quistnix, 2005)

This abbreviated engineering project idea will help you get started with three different ways to investigate what factors can increase the range of a trebuchet:

Trebuchet Physics: Use hand calculations to predict the range of a trebuchet based on its dimensions and other variables.

Computer Simulations of a Trebuchet: Use computer simulations to predict the range of a trebuchet and modify its design.

Building a Trebuchet: Build your own trebuchet and test it.

You can decide whether you want to try just one, two, or all three of these approaches. Read the relevant section(s) below for ideas on how to get started on your project.

Trebuchet Physics

If you want to do hand calculations to design a trebuchet with the best range, you will need to understand the physics involved. Figure 2, below, shows a diagram of a trebuchet with the main parts labeled. The trebuchet relies on the principle that stored potential energy of the counterweight can be converted into kinetic energy of the payload, launching it into the air.

Figure 2. A diagram of the main parts of a trebuchet.

Figure 2 raises several questions about designing a trebuchet. To throw the payload as far as possible, how long should the beam be? Where should the pivot point be on the beam? How high off the ground should the pivot be? How heavy should the counterweight and the payload be? Figure 3, below, shows a sketch that can help you start thinking about how to set up the problem, and the variables involved.

Figure 3. Schematic you can use to start analyzing the physics of a trebuchet. Note that m1 and m2 can be treated as point masses (so you do not need to account for their diamters), but are drawn larger in the figure.

The variables in Figure 3 are as follows:

m1 is the mass of the counterweight in kilograms (kg).

m2 is the mass of the payload (kg).

h is the initial height of the counterweight off the ground.

L1 is the distance between the pivot and the counterweight's attachment point in meters (m).

L2 is the distance between the pivot and the sling's attachment point (m).

L3 is the length of the sling (m).

L4 is the length of the rope suspending the counterweight (this distance is zero if the counterweight is fixed directly to the lever arm) (m).

How can you use these variables to calculate the range of a trebuchet? There is more than one way to tackle the problem. Depending on your experience levels with math and physics, you can try the following approaches:

If you have knowledge of basic physics concepts like projectile motion and conservation of energy, can you predict the maximum possible range of the trebuchet, assuming all of the counterweight's initial potential energy is converted to kinetic energy of the payload? Hint: Assume the payload leaves the sling at a launch angle of 45°.

Can you derive equations that describe the position of the payload as a function of time, before and after it leaves the sling? Assume the trebuchet starts from rest with the counterweight at height h above the ground. What variables do you need to use to fully define the position of the trebuchet and the payload? Hint: They are not labeled in Figure 3. One of them is the angle of the lever arm, but do you need more than that?

In either case, can you make your analysis more realistic by accounting for things like friction and air resistance? What about moments of inertia, which are not labeled in Figure 3?

This is a complex physics problem, so there are some references in the Bibliography to help get you started. If you get stuck, you may need to consult a physics textbook, ask your physics teacher for help, or do your own internet search for "trebuchet physics." Once you have derived an equation for the range of a trebuchet based on the physical parameters above, can you come up with any design guidelines or rules of thumb for designing a trebuchet with the best possible range?

Building a Trebuchet

This is probably the most exciting part of investigating how trebuchets work: actually building one! There are many different approaches to building a trebuchet, and you can find many different guides and designs online and in books (see the Bibliography for one example). Before you start building a trebuchet, ask yourself the following questions to help you pick a design:

How much space do you have to test your trebuchet? Do you have a large outdoor area to test a big one? Do you need to build a miniature trebuchet that fits on a tabletop? Or something in between?

What is your budget, and what materials do you have access to? Do you need to use household materials like cardboard, duct tape, and string? Can you make a trip to the hardware store and build your trebuchet with wood, nuts, and bolts?

What tools and safety equipment do you have access to? Will you need help from an adult to use tools like a power drill or saw?

How much time do you have to build your trebuchet? Do you have time to do a fancy design, or do you need to build one quickly?

What should the various dimensions and parameters (lever arm length, counterweight mass, etc.) of your trebuchet be? Can you pick these parameters based on hand calculations or computer simulations (above), or based on design information you found through your own research?

Do you want any of the parameters to be adjustable; for example, a bucket that you can fill with different weights for the counterweight, or a lever arm with notches or holes so you can change the pivot location and adjust the relative lengths of each side (L1 and L2 in Figure 3, above)?

What factors can increase the range of a real trebuchet, based on the one you build and test? For a very impressive science project, you could also compare the range of the trebuchet you build to predictions based on hand calculations and/or computer simulations you make (above). How closely do they match? What real-world things (like air resistance, or how exactly the payload is released from the sling) were difficult to account for in your calculations or simulations?

Objective

The goal of this project is to determine how different physical parameters can affect the range of a trebuchet, using hand calculations, computer simulations, and/or physical experiments.

Share your story with Science Buddies!

Yes,I Did This Project!
Please log in (or create a free account) to let us know how things went.

Credits

Ben Finio, PhD, Science Buddies

Cite This Page

General citation information is provided here. Be sure to check the formatting, including capitalization, for the method you are using and update your citation, as needed.

Bibliography

These references will be useful for learning about the physics of trebuchets. Some of these references contain advanced math, including calculus and differential equations, but you can still use them to help you get started.

News Feed on This Topic

,
,

Note: A computerized matching algorithm suggests the above articles. It's not as smart as you are, and it may occasionally give humorous, ridiculous, or even annoying results! Learn more about the News Feed

Share your story with Science Buddies!

Yes,I Did This Project!
Please log in (or create a free account) to let us know how things went.

Recent Feedback Submissions

Science Buddies materials are free for everyone to use, thanks to the support of our sponsors. What would you tell our sponsors about how Science Buddies helped you with your project?
It served as a useful guide.

Overall, how would you rate the quality of this project?
Good

What is your enthusiasm for science after doing your project?
Moderate

Compared to a typical science class, please tell us how much you learned doing this project.
More

What was the most important thing you learned?
I learned how trebuchets worked and the overall physics behind them.

What problems did you encounter?
Our group lost a lot of points for not providing a graph in our poster. However, it was impossible since the independent variable was only three lengths and we had 30 dependent variables.

Can you suggest any improvements or ideas?
A suggestion that addresses our group's problem would be an improvement

Science Buddies materials are free for everyone to use, thanks to the support of our sponsors. What would you tell our sponsors about how Science Buddies helped you with your project?

Overall, how would you rate the quality of this project?
Good

What is your enthusiasm for science after doing your project?
Moderate

Compared to a typical science class, please tell us how much you learned doing this project.
Much more

Ask an Expert

The Ask an Expert Forum is intended to be a place where students can go to find answers to science questions that they have been unable to find using other resources. If you have specific questions about your science fair project or science fair, our team of volunteer scientists can help. Our Experts won't do the work for you, but they will make suggestions, offer guidance, and help you troubleshoot.

Related Links

If you like this project, you might enjoy exploring these related careers:

Mechanical Engineer

Mechanical engineers are part of your everyday life, designing the spoon you used to eat your breakfast, your breakfast's packaging, the flip-top cap on your toothpaste tube, the zipper on your jacket, the car, bike, or bus you took to school, the chair you sat in, the door handle you grasped and the hinges it opened on, and the ballpoint pen you used to take your test. Virtually every object that you see around you has passed through the hands of a mechanical engineer. Consequently, their skills are in demand to design millions of different products in almost every type of industry.
Read more

Physicist

Physicists have a big goal in mind—to understand the nature of the entire universe and everything in it! To reach that goal, they observe and measure natural events seen on Earth and in the universe, and then develop theories, using mathematics, to explain why those phenomena occur. Physicists take on the challenge of explaining events that happen on the grandest scale imaginable to those that happen at the level of the smallest atomic particles. Their theories are then applied to human-scale projects to bring people new technologies, like computers, lasers, and fusion energy.
Read more

Physics Teacher

Our universe is full of matter and energy, and how that matter and energy moves and interacts in space and time is the subject of physics. Physics teachers spend their days showing and explaining the marvels of physics, which underlies all the other science subjects, including biology, chemistry, Earth and space science. Their work serves to develop the next generation of scientists and engineers, including all healthcare professionals. They also help all students better understand their physical world and how it works in their everyday lives, as well as how to become better citizens by understanding the process of scientific research.
Read more

Mechanical Engineering Technician

You use mechanical devices every day—to zip and snap your clothing, open doors, refrigerate and cook your food, get clean water, heat your home, play music, surf the Internet, travel around, and even to brush your teeth. Virtually every object that you see around has been mechanically engineered or designed at some point, requiring the skills of mechanical engineering technicians to create drawings of the product, or to build and test models of the product to find the best design.
Read more

News Feed on This Topic

,
,

Note: A computerized matching algorithm suggests the above articles. It's not as smart as you are, and it may occasionally give humorous, ridiculous, or even annoying results! Learn more about the News Feed

Looking for more science fun?

Try one of our science activities for quick, anytime science explorations. The perfect thing to liven up a rainy day, school vacation, or moment of boredom.

Compared to a typical science class, please tell us how much you learned doing this project.

Much more
More
About the same
Less
Much less

What was the most important thing you learned?

characters left

Science Buddies materials are free for everyone to use, thanks to the support of our sponsors. What would you tell our sponsors about how Science Buddies helped you with your project?

characters left

Optional:Attach a picture of your project (JPG, JPEG, GIF, PNG only)

Optional:Caption for picture

characters left

You can find this page online at: https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project-ideas/ApMech_p013/mechanical-engineering/effect-of-trebuchet-arm-length-or-counterweight-mass-on-projectile-distance?from=Home

You may print and distribute up to 200 copies of this document annually, at no charge, for personal and classroom educational use. When printing this document, you may NOT modify it in any way. For any other use, please contact Science Buddies.